Ranchi : 378 casual health workers write to govt for death

Ranchi: A group of contractual paramedical health workers, laboratory technicians and nurses of the state health department has pleaded euthanasia before the Jharkhand government, which failed to regularize them despite assurances for the past 10 years.Dhritiman Ray | Updated: January 18, 2016, 10:09 IST

Ranchi: A group of contractual paramedical health workers, laboratory technicians and nurses of the state health department has pleaded euthanasia before the Jharkhand government, which failed to regularize them despite assurances for the past 10 years.

In a letter to health minister Ramchandra Chandravanshi, health secretary K Vidyasagar and the health department officials late last week, as many as 378 temporary workers sought to end their lives as their families “teetered on the brink of starvation”.

The petitioners — including 152 are pharmacists, 131 laboratory technicians and 95 male and female paramedical workers — have blamed the government’s lackadaisical approach for their distress. The cabinet approved the proposal to regularize them in July last year.

“We have reached a point where our families are starving. Our parents are going without medical attention for lack of money,” Kishore Ram, a Chatra-based pharmacist and one of the petitioners, said on Sunday. The petitioners have also blamed the hostile atmosphere in workplace and prolonged exploitation in the pretext of assurances for their move, a letter of the copy states.

The contractual health workers have in the past resorted to protests, dharnas and hunger strikes to get their services regularized. Their latest move comes after the department delayed the process of regularization despite the state cabinet’s approval of creating new posts in July 2015 due to ‘technical reasons’.

“The cabinet had ordered regularization within 60 months of approval. It is more than six months now. Our patience has failed us,” Upendra, another petitioner said.

Why the delay despite cabinet nod? According to department officials, the process of post creation has been slowed down after some irregularities were spotted in the number of posts. “The staff selection has requisitioned for the creation of a revised number of posts. The process will begin once we get the go-ahead from the commission,” Dr Praveen Chandra, director in-chief of the state health services said. However, Chandra did not specify when the process will begin.

The petitioners have also slammed state government’s ‘Acche Din’ and speedy disposition of pending matters. However, officers from the department have trashed claims of starving. “Pharmacists are paid Rs 8700 and paramedics Rs 9000 per month. Their salaries are credited timely,” an officer said.

The health minister could not be reached for his comments despite repeated calls.

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